The Cheer Handbooks

Coaching cheer is about far more than counts, stunts, and routines. Every day, coaches are managing athlete confidence, parent communication, accountability, conflict, leadership, safety, and team culture, often with little formal training on how to handle the realities that come with the job.

Written by industry leaders Dan Cotton, Danielle Johnston, and Jeff Benson, Cheer Coaches' Handbook is a practical, real-world resource designed to help coaches lead more effectively both on and off the floor.

Inside, you'll learn:

• How to create consistent standards and accountability
• Strategies for handling difficult parent and athlete conversations
• What great gym culture actually looks like in practice
• How to prevent burnout and develop sustainable coaching habits
• Leadership and communication skills coaches are rarely taught
• Systems for building trust, confidence, and athlete growth
• How coaching impacts every department and experience within a gym

Whether you're onboarding new staff, developing veteran coaches, or looking to strengthen your program's leadership, this handbook provides actionable tools, honest conversations, and practical guidance for today's cheer industry.

Because great gyms are not built by routines alone. They're built by great coaches.